There are many benefits to partnering with a physician dispensing company, but what should you look for in these companies? How do you know which company is right for you?
Medication dispensing is a growing focus for physicians. It provides the chance to improve patient care, allowing doctors to ensure their patients are getting the medications they need when they need them.
An area of concern in healthcare is medication adherence. If patients don’t understand the instructions their doctor gives them for their medications, they are less likely to take them. This puts their health at risk, lowers patient satisfaction, and even increases the chances of healthcare providers having to deal with legal repercussions.
To provide in-office dispensing, turning to the right physician dispensing company is essential. The right company provides support and guidance while also being flexible enough to meet your and your patients’ needs.
Learn more about what to look for when searching for a physician dispensing company so that you can offer your patients the kind of services they can trust.
Industry Expertise and Reputation
When searching for a physician dispensing company, knowing how long they have been offering their services to similar healthcare providers is vital. The dispensing program has to have been in the industry for a few decades to be a good choice.
Their reputation must be impeccable, as well, with others in your industry being willing to recommend and speak positively of their dispensing system. One excellent way of checking whether a physician dispensing company is the right choice is by looking for any awards or industry recognition it has received.
Comprehensive Medication Solutions
Physician dispensing companies also have to provide the inventory options you need for your patient base. Prepackaged medication should be available, and inventory management strategies should be clear so that your patients never struggle to fill a prescription.
A company that offers dispensing services must be flexible as well so that it can be made to fit your exact practice needs. This includes being able to get specialty medications quickly.
The more rapidly prescription drugs are available, the higher the chance that your patients will fill and begin taking them immediately after your consultation. If there are delays, patients may second-guess whether to turn to the drugs at all.
Regulatory Compliance and Security
Physician dispensing solutions must comply with state regulations and federal laws. They need to be licensed to distribute in your state also. Make sure to check with state pharmacy boards to ensure its wholesaler and manufacturer license numbers are accurate and allow you to legally turn to the company for point-of-care dispensing solutions.
The DEA has laws in place for the handling of controlled substances. The company you choose to hire has to be aware of these laws and meet all the necessary criteria.
Physician dispensing laws also focus on privacy and data security. The option you choose must have dispensing software that is safe and becomes an extension of your privacy practices. In particular, the system must possess a HIPPA-compliant application with external audits done yearly, along with dedicated firewalls and procedures in place to stop intrusion.
Technological and Software Capabilities
The dispensing software has to be reliable, customizable, and flexible. When using a web-based dispensing system, the user interface must be intuitive and offer both brand-name and generic medication options to target patients at all budget levels. In addition, Prepackaged medications should be shipped in the sizes you need and be easily logged into the software.
The right drug dispensing software will allow you to dispense prescription drugs with the click of a button and update your inventory at the same time.
Integration with Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is another essential aspect of the software that you want to watch for. By ensuring that all the patient’s records are available through the system, there is little risk of prescribing doses that are not appropriate or medications that might interact with one another.
The doctor dispensing system must streamline workflow to maximize efficiency while still providing the necessary patient outcomes. Your staff no longer has to worry about spending time placing orders with pharmacies, letting them focus on serving patients instead.
Quality Control and Medication Accuracy
The right dispensing service offers the knowledge that the medications they work with pass all quality control thresholds. It must record all expiration dates and offer warning systems, as well as allow you to track lot numbers for an added level of control.
For the accuracy you need to keep your patients safe, the system must provide state-compliant medication labeling on all the products they work with and have formulary controls in place. Any repackaging has to be clearly labeled and meet all state board requirements so that there are no medication errors.
Patient-Centric Focus
These kinds of pharmacy services have to focus on patient convenience and safety, helping to improve outcomes by increasing patient compliance.
The more information a patient has about the medications they need to take, the better the chances that they will take the drug in the way you prescribe. In-office dispensing makes this easier by allowing patients to get what they need right from their doctor, without risking any confusion from speaking with pharmacists. This also helps avoid delays in getting the prescription filled.
Urgent care medication dispensing is another feature the company you choose must offer. It ensures that your patients know they can turn to your services even during emergencies.
Transparent Pricing and Cost-Efficiency
Physician dispensing companies worth turning to are those that offer transparent pricing, with clear explanations of the fees involved. They must have multiple reimbursement options, including cash payments, transmitting to third-party billing, exporting, and more. Electronic claim transmissions also have to be possible with the system.
Compare the costs of using an in-office dispensing system with the inefficiency of not having one. Staff members spend a considerable amount of time calling pharmacies and dealing with medication errors,
This ends up costing you more in the long run than turning to a dispensing program would. To save more money, check for hidden fees before deciding on your dispensing service.
Customer Support and Training
Customer support should be available at all times with an on-site dispensary at a physician’s office. The onboarding process has to also be as intuitive as possible, with personnel from the company present to assist you and your staff.
For technical issues, you need to be able to reach out and get fast help. You should be able to reach customer support for all issues using varying methods, including by phone, email, live chat, and more.
Making the Right Decision
When deciding on a physician dispensing company, you need to focus on a secure and efficient system that offers quality control and has software that makes inventory management and prescribing easier while still keeping patient records safe.
Before choosing the company, go through the following points to see whether they really offer what you need:
- Experience
- Customized services
- Wide selection of medication inventory
- State and federal law compliance
- Data security
- Intuitive software
- Integrated EHRs
- Labeling and packaging standards
- Patient support
- Transparent pricing
- Available customer support
If the company meets all your requirements, the next step is to reach out to them for an in-depth conversation on how medication dispensing can help your practice.
Partnering With Proficient Rx
Physician dispensing services can be a boost for any physician’s practice, but only if you choose the right provider. You need to keep your patients safe while providing convenience, avoiding medication errors, and helping your patients adhere to the treatments you prescribe. All of that can only happen when you join forces with a reliable and reputable company.
At Proficient Rx, we are here to empower healthcare practices so that you can do your job most effectively. Contact Proficient Rx today to learn more about all of the options we offer.
